Battery-box.



H. M. FISK.

BATTERY BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, w11.

Lyg', Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

HENRY M. FISK, 0F WATSEK, ILLINOIS.

BATTERY-BOX.

Specicati'on of Letters Patent.

Patented Ang. 2'?, 1912.

Application led .Tune 2, 1911. Serial No.7630,956.

To all 'whom "it may concern:

Be it known that l, HENRY M. FIsK, a citizen of the United States, residing at 1l/Vatseka, in the county of VIroquois and Sta-te of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Battery- Boxes, of which the following is a specilication.

My invention relates to battery boxes, or receptacles for holding batteries, especially in automobiles and other self propelled vehicles, and the objects of the invention are irst, to provide a receptacle which will protect the batteries and hold them safely in place, second to provide means 1" or properly positioning the batteries in the receptacle, third to provide a construction such that when the cover of the receptacle is removed the batteries will all be disconnected, and conversely will be automatically and simultaneously connectedby the -rnereact of putting the cover in place upon the receptacle. As a result of this characteristic any one of the batteries may be inserted or removed without the trouble of'connecting or disconnecting a number ot wires.

A fourth object of the invention is to provide simple and effective details of construction which will be hereinafter more specilically set forth.

l obtain my objects by the mechanism illustrated by the accompanying drawings7 in which- .Figure 1 is a plan view of the receptacle, with the cover removed. Fig. 2 is a plan view with the cover in position. Fig.' 3 is a plan-view of the templet or spacing naember. 4 isa fragmentary sectional view of the cover showing one of the connectors in position thereon.

cal sectional viewtaken along the line 5-5,

Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectionalV view takenon the line (3b-6,' Fig. 2.

Similar numerals refer to similar partsA Fig. 1. The idea is to so proportion the box that it will hold the batteries securel and prevent shock and jar between them uring the movement of the vehicle.

1tw'i'll be understood that the ordinary The section is taken along'thc line 4 4, Flg. 2. Fig. 5 is a verti dry batteries to be found upon the market have two terminals 12 and 13, the terminal 12 being located in the center of the battery and being rectangular in cross section and being provided with a binding screw 14C.

yThe terminal 13 of each battery is located at the outer edge of the top and is also screw threaded to serve as a binding screw. lhile this particular arrangement of the battery terminals is common in the batteries o n the market today, it will be understood that under any type ont construction the terminals will be separated from each other to a great or less extent, and the rinciple of my invention is such that any ordinary vari-- ations in the arrangement ofthe battery termina-ls may be accommodated without de parting from the spirit of my invention.

rl`he templet 15 consists preferably of wood fiber or other insulating material, and i'sy so proportioned as to ht within the receptacle tightly enough to prevent any perceptible lateral motion, but loosely enough to permit it to be readily inserted or withdrawn. rlhe templet basan aperture 16 for each of the 4central terminals 12, and an aperture 17 for each of the terminals' v13. By preference these apertures are circular, as shown. They con-form in diameter approximately to the size of the terminals, and are arrangedv accordingto a denite system so that the side terminals 13 will always occupy the same position in the receptacle. This positioningof the terminals is import-p ant for it brings them into place where they will be sure to be contacted by the ron- .nectors 18 fastened to the under side of the cover. These connectorsA 18 consist of brass or other suitable conductiveand semixible material and by preference are provided at one end'with a cap 18a adapted to tit over the terminals 13e Aatthe other end said connectors are preferably arched as shown at 18b in F igs. 4 and 6 of the drawings. The advantage -in this arched construction is that it causes two edges of' the metal to be presentedto the horizontal' screws 14, which permits the metal to wedge artly into the screw threads at two di 'erent points on the screw, thereby insuring good Contact. These' connectors are so arranged as to conform 4to the arrangement of the batteryterminals when the latter are positioned by the templet 15. u

ln the preferred construction the cover 1s composite, consistinglof Jthe upper and outer ajo shell 19 lined by two layers 2O and 21, the latter being best shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The cover plate (19) consists preferably of a single piece of spun or stamped sheet metal lianged at the edges to fit the sides of-the box. The linings 20 and 21 .consist of sheets of wood ber or other suitable insulating material. The connectors 18 are riveted or otherwise fastened to the under sheet 21, while the upper sheet 20 is interposed between the lower .sheet and the cover shell 19. The three parts are held in place by riveting 'or other suitable fastening means. The advantage of this construction is that it affords a sheet 2O of insulating material between the metallic 'cover'shell 19 and the rivets or other fastening means employed to holdthe connectors' in position. This removes all possibility of a` short circuit between the connectors and the outer metallic shellof the cover.

In addition to the connectors 18 which serve to connect the positive terminal of one battery with the negative terminal of the next battery, are two terminal connectors 22 and 23. These are in general similar to the connectors 18, the lconnector 22 being adapted to cont-act agterminal 13 and the connector 23 being adapted to contact a terminal screw 14. The terminals 22 and 23 are connected to binding posts 2,4:v and 2.5 re- Spectively, which project up through the cover and are adapted to be connected to the outer circuit which they are to energize.

After the cover isin place it is fastened, and any desired degree of pressure is obtained., by means of clamp screws 26 which are hinged to the side of the receptacle and are provided with thumb nuts 27 adapted to overlie the bifurcated ears 28 project-ing from the ends of the cover.l

In assembling the apparatus the batteries are first lowered into the receptacle and their terminals are brought to a position to correspond with the apertures in the templet 15. The templet is then lowered into position withv the battery terminals projecting up through it. The cover is then lowered into place with the result that the connectors 18 come into contact with the various battery terminals in such manner as to connect them up in series as will be apparent by reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings. At one end of the series the terminal screw 13 will make contact with the connector 22 leading to the main terminal 24, and at the other end of the series the terminal screw 14 will make lcontact with the connector 23 leading to the other main ter-v minal 25. It will be noted that all of said connectors, which are of more or less i'lexible metal are bowed in such manner as'to yield when pressure is exerted a't their ends, hence an inequality in the height of the various battery terminals is compensated for drawing the cover down tight into place,

which is accomplished by screwing down the nuts 27 on the clamping screws 26. When this is accomplished, the parts will be not only securely held together and be capable of 'being transported and subjected to shock or jar without danger of injury to the batteries, but `in addition, good contact between the various terminals and connectors will be assured.

It will be noted that the templet 15 'is so .formed that the apertures therein are symmetrical with reference to a longitudinal and a transverse median line drawn upon the cover and hence said templet is reversible end for end, and eliminates the need of any particular care on the part of the operator when the parts are being asserbled.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim asnew and desire to secure hy Letters Patent is f 1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a metallic receptacle for the batteries, a metallic cover therefor, an'in-' sulating plate secured to the underside of said cover, spring connectors secured to said plate and adapted to connect the battery terminals, means for vertically adjusting said cover, to thereby increase or decrease .the pressure of the connectors on the battery terminals, and a loose plate fitting into the receptacle and having apertures therein for permitting the battery terminals to project up through them and be held in position thereby,'said apertures being located in correspondence with the ends ofthe connectors for insuring engagement with the battery terminals when the cover is lowered.

2. In a battery box, the combination of batteries provided with horizontal binding screws, a receptacle for holding the batteries, a cover vertically adjustable upon the receptacle, and spring contactors on the underside of said cover which, when the cover is in position connects the positive terminal of one battery with the negative terminal of the next, said, connectors 'consisting of strips of metal so bent at the end as to present the two lateral` edges downwardly for the purpose of causing said lateral edges to enter between the threads on the binding screws, substantially as described.

3. In combination, a plurality of dry batteries each having a positive and a negative terminal projecting upward, a sheet metal receptacle for holding said batteries, a detached sheet metal cover having depending peripheral ianges making a vertically sliding t with the loutsdes of said receptacle, means for vertically adjusting said cover, spring connectors mounted upon the underside o said cover and suitably insulated therefrom, said connectors being adapted at the end to engage the battery terminals to connect the positive terminal of one battery to the negative of the next, and a detached plate loosely fitting inside said receptacle and resting upon the batteries there- 5 in, said plate havin apertures for rmitting the battery terminals to pass up rough to the Connectors, said apertures bein located in correspondence with the en s of the connectors for insuring engagement of the connectors with the proper battery terminals, substantially as described.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed Iny name in the presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY M FISK.

Witnesses:

HSD.' RLDDELL, J. S. EVANS. 

